Russia has claimed that it has destroyed US Humvees, M-113 armoured personnel carriers and M777 howitzers operated by Ukrainian forces.
The footage appears to show Russian soldiers launching a drone into the sky and liaising with their colleagues to take out Ukrainian military targets.
The images were obtained from the Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) on Thursday, 15th June, along with a statement claiming (in English): “The enemy can’t hide: Superkam UAV crew ensures artillery targeting.
“The Central Military District’s Superkam unmanned aerial vehicle crew has provided targeting of artillery, as well as control of striking the command post and personnel of the AFU [Armed Forces of Ukraine] in Krasny Liman direction.
“Drone crews perform daily aerial reconnaissance of the contact line to detect hidden enemy movements.
“Due to coordinated actions of artillery and UAV crews, the following were destroyed: U.S. armoured Humvees, M-113, M777 howitzers, a command post, personnel and a number of other targets.” (sic)
We have not been able to independently verify the claims or the footage.
Russia invaded Ukraine on 24th February 2022 in what the Kremlin is still calling a “special military operation”. Today marks the 477th day of the full-scale war.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between 24th February 2022 and 15th June 2023, Russia had lost about 217,910 personnel, 3,955 tanks, 7,667 armoured combat vehicles, 3,793 artillery units, 604 multiple launch rocket systems, 364 air defence systems, 314 warplanes, 301 helicopters, 3,333 drones, 1,199 cruise missiles, 18 warships, 6,506 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 519 units of special equipment.
Russia has claimed that its casualties have been much lower but provides infrequent updates on its latest figures.
Ukraine’s allies are set to announce plans to train Ukrainian fighter pilots to fly US-made F-16s at a meeting in Brussels today, Thursday, 15th June.
The head of Norway’s Air Force, Major General Rolf Folland, said that supplying Kyiv with the jets will “not be a silver bullet”, adding that it will take time for Ukraine to be able to operate the aircraft.
Western officials have admitted that Ukraine is taking significant casualties and making slow progress in its counteroffensive, with one unnamed official reportedly saying: “They are going against a well-prepared line that the Russians have had months to prepare.”
Ukraine’s Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar said on Wednesday that there was “extremely fierce” fighting as Ukraine’s forces advance incrementally.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has said that members of the alliance need to make sure that Kyiv continues to receive arms so that it can continue its counteroffensive against the Kremlin’s forces.
Stoltenberg added: “It is still early days and we do not know if this will be a turning point.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin has apparently sided with his Ministry of Defence and called for Russia’s “volunteer detachments” in Ukraine to come under the control of the Ministry.
The move has been widely seen as an attempt by Putin to rein in the Wagner mercenary organisation and its boss Yevgeny Prigozhin by incorporating it into the regular army.
Ukraine has said that Western computer chips and other components are being found in Russian missiles, saying that they come largely via China.
Ukraine has called for world leaders to tighten export controls as a result.
Ramzan Kadyrov, the Chechen leader, said today that Adam Delimkhanov, one of his senior commanders, is alive and well, contradicting reports that he had been killed or wounded in Ukraine.
